Separable fastener



NOV. 3, 1942. N WAHL 2,300,442

SEPARABLE FAST-ENER Filed Nov. 16, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l /coms h/A/u.

. BY. NW

ATTORNEY.

Nov. 3, 1942. N. WAHL 2,300,442

SEPARABLE FASTENER Filed Nov. 16, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Nm-OLAS M4144.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 3, 1942 SEPARABLE FASTENER Nicolas Wahl, New York, N. Y., assignor to Wahl Brothers Inc., New York, N. Y., a. domestic corporation Application November 16, 1939, Serial No. 304,701 In France February 16, 1939 29 Claims.

This invention concerns separable fasteners or slide fasteners, i. e. stringers on the edges of goods to be separably joined and means to effect such joining. Such means may be sliders which lock cooperating stringers upon each other when they are slid thereon in one direction, and which release the stringers from each other, when slid thereon in the opposite direction.

Reference is also had herein, from time to time, tc the method of producing fasteners of this invention. Such method is, however, specically dealt with in my application Serial No. 417,154 of October 30, 1941, entitled Making separable fasteners which is a continuation in part of this application.

'Ihe stringers are articulated, and their subdivisions or joints are called links and are ordinarily interconnected by tapes. This art calls for rigidity of the links; at least they must be substantially rigid at their apices where they provide a hook and eye or catch and latch formation for interlocking engagement between cordinated links of cooperating stringers. This makes it necessary that the apices be pre-shaped with comparative accuracy. They fail to interlock and lack usefulness, when the coordinated links do not match or cease to match and to lock upon each other due to Wear and tear. This requirement becomes more pronounced tho more difficult to observe when the fastener is to be executed A in smaller dimensions. Still it is desirable so to dimension the fastenenwhen it is to be less obtrusive and less visible. But such deslderatum may also be directly due to said rigidity and the sharp and pronounced lock or latch formations which are quite often not in keeping with the nature and objects of the goods to which they are applied, e. g. a soft, pliable fabric.

It is an object of this invention to overcome the disadvantage caused by rigidity of Aparts in the extent to which it involves accuracy and intricacy of the coacting elements. This is not attained by just abandoning rigidness of structure, and certainly not at all by a'sacriflce of precision. But a simplicationof the links is sought and attained, but rather by resiliency of the material used and pliability 'of the structure into which the material is shaped, or both.

The idea underlying this'invention represents a departure from the principle .of ,this art, ac-

cording to which principle the atches and latches must predet'erminedly, xedly and perfectly match each other in order to yield the desired quality of interlocking engagement. According to this invention the stringers interlock as se- Cil .of the Stringer links for purposes of economy of manufacture and better operation of the slide fastener, the inventor has also borne in mind the object of lifting such appliances out of the class of unsightly contrivances-unsightly because of their mechanical intricacy, for lack of harmony with the material and the design of the goods joined thereby and for other reasons. The prior art has been keenly aware of this unsightliness and has variously attempted to overcome it, e. g. by hiding the stringers in the tape or underneath the fabric to the edges of which they are applied.

It is the object of this invention to allow adaptation to styles and to impart aesthetic value and appeal to the detachable or slide fastener by itself as well as in conjunction with the goods which are bordered thereby. Thus the inventor has succeeded, in one instance, in giving to his improvement the pleasing and unobtrusive appearance of a braid. As a matter of fact stringers of this invention may properly be called a false braid when engaged upon each other in a close or fiat formation.

The structural material, in which the loops or convolutions forming the links of the stringers are executed, has a preferred oblong profile, the expression oblong being here used in its broadest .sense meaning longer than broad and the r the Stringer.

length beingtaken in thegeneral direction of Such oblong cross-section is important, for the locking of the nestled links, and it also furthers transverse elasticity of each link, i. e. in a direction normal to the Stringer. But this also facilitates a permanent flattening of the links and of the stringers in the plane of the goods interconnected thereby in pursuance of the generally desirable object of reducing the thickness of the slide fasteners to that of the goods interconnected thereby.

An important function of the tape of a separable or slide fastener is an accurate spacing of the links of a stringer. Executing the links according to a preferred embodiment of this invention as the convolutions of a continuous coil provides a convenient tho perhaps not fixed spacing of the links. V But as the pliable nestling of the links permits yieldability, it may allow a limited play concerning the spacing of the links, so that tapes may not be necessary in an embodiment of this invention, as far as a spacing of the links is concerned. 'Ihis `facilitates the attainment of a number of objects concerning the method and means of attachment of stringers embodying this invention, and a further departure from prior practices of the art of separable or slide fasteners, which ranges from a sewing of the stringer, e. g. link by link, directly or indirectly to the fabric bordered thereby, to an incorporation of the stringers in the weave or structure of said fabric.

These and other objects are the outcome of various novel phases of this invention and will be better understood from the following detail description of several embodiments of the invention which are. however, presented for purposes of illustration of the invention only, and not in limitation thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of this invention, parts being shown in cross-section.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the overlapping stringers taken by way of a central cross-section, except that one convolution of one of the stringers is shown at the bottom in full.

In Fig. 3 the manner in which a stringer is fastened upon the tape ls illustrated in a crosssection taken at 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are. perspectives of the locking member (scoop or clasp) at the ends of the two stringers, respectively.

Fig. 6 shows a few preferred cross-sections of the material or wire of the stringers.

Fig. 7 shows, in a cross-sectioned View, stringers directly applied to a fabric.

Fig. 8 indicates how a fabric may be prepared for engaging a stringer as shown in Fig. 'I of this invention.

Fig. 9 shows another embodiment of the invention, in which the stringers are executed in strips of at material.

Fig. 10 shows a stringer af this invention to be woven as a selvage into a fabric.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various views:

Fig. 1 shows the tape I3, to which the stringers II and I2 are attached, respectively. The upper ends of the stringers II and I2 gape apart, and are engaged in clasps I and I6, which are also suitably fastened upon the tape I3. 'Ihese gaping ends of the stringers II and I2 slidably extend into channels I'I and I8 of a button I4. Button I4 is executed in slider fashion, i. e. the channels II and I8 merge at a fork I9 and the button I4 is slit where it extends over tape I3 in order to clear the tape. Below button I4 the stringers II and I2 are interlocked.

The stringers are shown as coils of filament. Any filament may be used, which is stii enough to preserve a predetermined shape. The filament should be of such hardness at its surface, that it is not unduly scratched or tended when used and intermeshed. When filament, e. g. a ribbon, lacks such stiness or surface hardness, they may be provided by treatment throughout or on the surface with a suitable coating liquid. The filament should be of sufficient resiliency not to interfere with the desired exibility of the fabrics interconnected by the fastener. Certainly there must be suicient exibility to permit a bending of the stringers in order to pass through a slider, like button I4.

While the coils of the stringers of Fig. 1 are shown in a plan view, there is the impression, that they are seen at an incline, because these coils are not true helices, but they are twisted at their apices, the center of the portions over- "is correspondingly offset; the manner in which the loops of the two stringers overlap and nestle Within each other is shown in the transverse cross-section of the interlocked stringers below button I4 of Fig. l, and in the central cross-section of Fig. 2. At the bottom of the view of Fig. 2 one convolution is shown in full, in order to show how the apex is offset.

The two stringers II and I2 are symmetrical, e. g. the stringer II is substantially a left hand, and stringer I2 is substantially a right hand helix. The pitch of the coils should be less than twice the width of the oblong filaments or wires in the direction of the stringers. A's a matter of fact the coils may be wound rather close, as illustrated in Fig. 9.

The stringers may be attached in any preferred manner upon the tape, or directly upon the goods to be joined thereby. Each convolution may be directly sewed upon the edge of the material from which it extends, as it is for instance indicated in Fig. 9. Or a cord 20 extended in the bottom of the coil of each stringer may be sewed or tied by way of the spaces between convolutons onto the tape or to the material, to which the stringer is applied. The coils should be oblong, in order to protrude as little as possible from the plane of the fabric or tape, to which they are attached. If the lament is made of a material, which becomes limp under heat but hardens when cooled again, such as Celluloid, fasteners of this invention may readily be made from true helices which are placed into mesh with each other in slide fastener fashion, and are then heated and pressed into the desired flat shape while hot. Upon cooling these coils will then have permanently a shape substantially corresponding to that illustrated in Fig. 1. Coiled stringers of other material, e. g. most metals, may be pressed cold into a more or less flat shape, if so desired.

Contrary to other slide fasteners,` the opening and closing directions may be reversed with a fastener of this invention, 1. e., the slider is applied to the stringers in the opposite direction. Each link of one stringer is engaged by both the links of the other stringer between which it is inserted. Otherwise slide fasteners of this invention may be adapted to the various uses known in the prior art. If the stringers are to be fully separated, for instance, coextensive end portions of the coils of the two attened stringers may be reduced in width or contracted, as shown in Fig. 1, to true helices 23 and 24 which also extend and are fastened along the edge of the goods or tape, but which are never brought into overlapping or coupling relationship. When the coils are coupled, as shown in connection with the portion below slider I4 of Fig. 1, these helices extend alongside of each other. Helix 24 is shown to terminate in a clasp 25, which is attached to the respective tape I3, and which may slide with such helix 24 right through and out from channel I8, when the slider is in its lowermost position. Over the end of the other helix 23 a scoop 26 is attached, said helix 23 filling less than half of said scoop. Upon the opposite side the scoop 26 has a slot 21, so that the clasp 25 may be inserted into the other half of scoop ln which position it is shown in Fig. 1.

When the slider I4 is moved up, it interlocks the stringers in slide fastener fashion, the links of thestringers nestling within each other as illustrated. The stringers II and I2 are fully disengaged, when the slider I4 is in its lowest position, where it comes to rest on top of the scoop 26. The user may now disengage the goods to the right together with respective Stringer I2 from those to the left by pulling them up, so that helix 24 and the clasp 25 slide out of the slider I4. The slider I4 remainsengaged upon the helix 23 on top of the scoop 26.

For purposes of reassembly clasp 25` is reinserted into scoop 26 by way of the channel I8 of the slider I4, and the user may then move up the slider I4 and lock the stringers upon each other, while he holds clasp 25 and scoop 26 by the other hand in their assembled position of Fig. 1.

The profile of the oblong wire or filament should be pneferably chosen, so that it is substantially non-convex, i. e. either flat or concave upon the side turned to the inside of the coiled Stringer, as it is suggested in each of the modications of profiles a, b, c, d and e of Ig. 6. A semi-circular wire a may be convenient, but a similar section of a non-circular round figure, like an ellipse, may be preferred, as indicated at c. Of course a thinner sector of a round figure, like that shown at b may also be used, or the filament may be a perfect fiat d or a concave Strip e.

A wire, which is round on the outside of the coil of the stringer, is pleasing in appearance, presents, by way of contrast to the old art, no sharp edges, or hook and eye formation which may scratch or hurt, or which may engage upon' and grip or tear another fabric coming into contact therewith.

A flat filament, as it is embodied in the stringers 3l and 32 of the showing of Fig. 9, is conducive to an easier flattening out into a shape which is oblong in the direction of the plane of the goods 33 interconnected thereby. Such a flat form of wire increases the range of material which may be'used for stringers of this invention. They wil1 have to be rolled or drawn, as

it is ordinarily necessary for a partly round profile. Flats may be cut as strips from sheet material. A woven ribbon, which is duly stilened by sizing, e. g. with a thermo-plastic, may for instance be converted for purposes of this invention. Fig. 9`shows, that the convolutions of a Stringer may be closely placed together, so that the resulting interlocked braid substantiall closes the line of connection.

Another mode of attaching a Stringer of this invention to the edges of goods is illustrated by Figs. I and 8. Adjacent the marginal portion 4I of the woven goods 40 a number of strands or ends extending in the same direction as said portion are withdrawn from the weave, leaving an open or exposed portion 42 of strands or ends extending normal to` said marginal portion 4I. A stringer is now deposited upon these strands and presses through the goods, so that one or more strands 42 extend between each pair of adjacent convolutions of Stringer 43. The marginal portion 4I may then be folded and tacked back upon the portion of the goods 4I) extending adjacent to portion 42, for instance by stitches 44, and the Stringer is attached to the goods. A Stringer of this invention may also be woven as a selvage into goods during weaving of the latter in a loom. Thus Fig. 10 shows a coil of oblong, e. g. flat wire and-of a shape herein described to beextended as an end warp parallel to other warps, and during the weaving process the woof is looped and falls in between the convolutions of the coil, thus attaching the coil as a selvage to goods 52. Analogous to the method described before two coils 5I thus applied as selvage to two pieces 52 of goods are then brought into mesh with each other, i. e. the convolutions of the one coil are inserted between those of the other coil and the desired coupling shape is obtained by pressure then applied to the meshed coils. If the coils l5 are made of. a so-called thermoplastic, the shaping may, for insttance, be done by a carefully controlled ironing. l

Having thus described my invention in detail, yet I do not wish to be limited thereby, except as the state of the art and the appended claims may require, for it is obvious that various modifications and changes may be made in the form of embodiment of my invention, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

What I claim is: 1. A slide fastener adapted for coupling by a slider and comprising a pair of stringers each arranged along a line upon goods to be separably joined rby said fastener, each of said stringers 3o comprising loops of filament of oblong cross-section, the loops of each of said stringers extending into the loops of the other Stringer and portions of the filament of adjacent loops of one of said stringers being slanted and curved where a loop of the other stringer extends athwart but at a corresponding slant and curvature over one into the other of said adjacent loops when coupled by a slider.

2. A slide fastener adapted for coupling by a slider and comprising a pair of stringers extending on goods to be separably joined by said fastener, each of said stringers consisting of loops of filament of oblong cross-section, said filament having a broad side turned in each instance to- 45 wards the inside of the'loop, the filament of the loops of the stringers overlapping each other and their said broad sides extending in contact along a curved line over a wire of another loop where they cross when coupled upon each other.

slider and comprising a pair of rows of links, each of said rows of links being a coil having convolutions of a filament of auniform. oblong cross-section, each of said convolutions being one of said links, each convolution of each coil extending endwise and at an angle into a convolution of the other coil and nestling therein, when the rows are coupled by a slider.

4. A slide fastener adapted for coupling by a slider and comprising a pair of substantially symmetrical rows of filament loops, said loops being oblong and serving as links, each of said loops extending at a slant relatively to the line of coupling endwise into a loop of the other row and nestling therein, when the rows are coupled by a slider.

5. In a separable fastener adapted for coupling and uncoupling, loops of filament relatively evenly spaced along an edge of each of a pair of goods to be coupled, the loops representing two substantially symmetrical rows when coupled, the plane of each loop being substantially normal to the plane of the goods from which it extends but at an incline to the line of the edge of the goods from which it extends so that adjacent loops are 3. A slide fastener adapted for coupling by a relatively staggered, said incline being such that said adjacent loops extend into close proximity with each other, each loop of each row being curved substantially at its plane to extend around the outside of a loop of the other row into another loop of the other row, when the rows of loops are coupled.

6. A positively interlocked slide fastener adapted for coupling by a slider and comprising a pair of stringers extending on goods to be separably joined by said fastener, the stringers comprising convolutions of oblong wire nesting within each other when the stringers are locked upon each other, each of said convolutions extending in part along a helical path but being offset in a direction opposite to the lead of the helical path where it extends farthest out on said stringer.

7. A positively interlocking slide fastener adapted for coupling by a slider and comprising a pair of stringers extending on goods to be separably joined by said fastener, each of said stringers comprising loops of filament of flat cross-section, each loop of one stringer nesting within a loop of the other stringer when the stringers are coupled by a slider.

8. A positively interlocking slide fastener adapted for coupling by a slider and comprising a pair of stringers extending on goods to be separably joined by said fastener, each of said stringers comprising loops of coiled filament having a segment of a round figure as a continuous profile the loops of one stringer nesting within those of the other in the coupled position.

9. A positively interlocking slide fastener adapted for coupling by a slider and comprising a pair of stringers extending on goods to be separably joined by said fastener, each of said stringers having links consisting of loops of uninterrupted filament of substantially semi-circular cross-section, the loops of the stringers nesting within each other when the stringers are coupled.

10. A slide fastener adapted for coupling by a slider and comprising a pair of rows of links extending on goods to be separably joined by said fastener, said rows of links being flat coils of a filament of uniform cross-section throughout, the convolutions of the two coils, as sets of links, extending endwise and being nestled within each other when coupled.

1l. A positively interlocking slide fastener adapted for coupling by a slider and comprising a pair of stringers to be extended on goods to be separably joined by said fastener, each of said stringers comprising coiled filament of oblong cross-section, adjacent convolutions of the coil of a stringer being spaced apart upon such goods to a distance which is less than the width of the filament in that direction, each convolution of each coil being endwise extending into a convolution of the other coil in the coupled position of the stringers.

12. A positively interlocking slide fastener comprising a pair of stringers extending on goods to be separably joined'by said fastener, each of said stringers comprising flat coils of filament, a slider engaged over said stringers and merging them in nestled engagement, true helices of said filament extending at one end from said coils, and a scoop spacedly engaging the ends of said helices, said slider being slidable from said stringers onto said helices, and one of said helices being withdrawable from said scoop and said slider when the slider is on the 'other houx.

13. A positively interlocking slide fastener adapted for coupling by a slider and engaged as selvage upon woven fabric, comprising a pair of rows of flexibly interconnected links made of oblong wire, each link of each row extending endwise into and being lodged within a link of the other row when the rows of links are coupled, and ends extending between adjacent ones of said links where said links are flexibly interconnected, and forming the Woof in a fabric.

14. A slide fastener adapted for coupling by a slider and comprising a. pair of stringers extending on goods to be separably joined by said fastener, each of said stringers comprising inclined, oblong loops of filament of oblong cross-section, the loops of both stringers being curved to hook over and to nestle within each other in the fornaion of a lbraid when the stringers are coup e 15. A woven fabric provided with a slide fastener, comprising a pair of oppositely coiled filaments engaged as selvages in the weave of the parts of the fabric to be separably fastened upon each other and adapted to be locked upon each other by a slider interconnecting said coiled filaments, each of the convolutions of each of said coiled filaments extending endwise into an opening in the other coiled filament and being lodged in such opening when the coiled filaments are locked upon each other by a slider.

16. A positively interlocking separable fastener, in which rows of links are coupled and uncoupled by a slider, loops of filament of oblong cross-section serving as links, the filament of a loop extending substantially throughout at varying slants relatively to the direction of the line of coupling and uncoupling of the fastener, the rows of loops overlapping each other and each loop of one row extending substantially to the width of its filament into and nestling within a loop of the other row when the rows of links are coupled by a slider.

17. A separable fastener, in which rows of links are coupled and uncoupled by a slider, loops of filament of oblong cross-section serving as links, the filament being non-convex on one of its sides. the rows of loops overlapping each other and eachloop of one row extending at a slant into and nestling within said non-convex side of a loop of the other row by lateral reaction upon an adjacent loop of said other row extending at a slant into such a loop of the one row, when the rows are coupled.

18. A separable fastener comprising supple loops of filament of oblong cross-section, the loops being strung as links in a pair of rows adapted for coupling and uncoupling by a slider, the loops of one row nestling within those of the other, when the fastener is coupled.

19. A separable fastener comprising supple loops of filament of oblong cross-"section, the loops being spaced apart at distances shorter than their width as links in a pair of rows adapted for coupling and uncoupling by a slider, the loops of one row nestling within those of the other, when the fastener is coupled.

20. In a separable fastener suited for operation by a slider, links which are loops of filament, the filament being of oblong cross-section and having its greatest width substantially in a direction normal to the plane of' the loops, the loops being substantially fiat and projectionless on their opposite sides, and the loops being shaped for nestled engagement within and over each other, each link being endwise accommodated by another link and conversely accommodating still another link when the links are coupled by a slider.

21. In a positively interlocking separable fastener, a pair of rows of slanted loops of filament which are relatively staggered and closely spaced along the edges of goods and adapted for coupling by a slider, a loop of one of the rows extending, starting from its point of attachment upon goods, first over one and then into the other one of a pair of adjacent loops of the other row, so that the filaments extend into the formation of a braid, when the rows are coupled by a slider and are seen from one or the other side.

22. In a separable fastener, the combination of stringers having rows of loops of filament of oblong cross-section, a slider having branch channels which slidably fit and guide said rows of loops and which merge substantially completely, so that they push the loops of the rows of loops into nestling overlap, when the slider is moved for the purpose of coupling the rows of loops.

23. A positively interlocking slide fastener comprising a pair of complementary coils of substantially uniform pitch and convolutions, each coil being formed from a lament having an elongated cross section, the angular lead of the filament in each convolution varying in such manner that at its apex the lead ls less than that of a true helix having the same pitch, while at its base the lead is greater than that of a true helix having the same pitch.

24. A fastener according to claim 23, in which the convolutions of the coils are flattened into an oval shape.

25. A fastener according to claim 23, in which the lament is convex on the outer face.

26. A fastener according to claim 23', in which the coils are uniformly spaced and attached to the edge of a tape or the like, at a pitch less than twice the width of the filament.

27. A fastener according to claim 23l in which the filament is -composed of a thermoplastic resinous material.

28. A fastener according to claim 23, in which the coils are oppositely wound.

29. A fastener according to claim 23, in which the coils are provided with a section of reduced diameter at an end thereof, on which the slider moves without interlocking the convolutions of such section, a scoop attached to the end of one such section, a clasp attached to the end of the other such section and coacting with said scoop to provide a detachable connection between the coils when the slider is at rest below the interlocking portion of the coils.

NICOLAS WAHL. 

